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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · bowl · perch · saw · temple · lean · calf · rest

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. perch — the fish
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. saw — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com